The Structure/Function Bioengineering Core will provide five basic services to the members of the Center. Specifically, it will provide geometric and morphological characterization of bone structure, hierarchically based structural material property measures, design and fabrication of in vivo or in vitro mechanobiologic experimental systems, specialized engineering design and fabrication of fixtures and devices and Raman microspectroscopy and imaging. While the activities of this Core are fairly clearly delineated by specific assays, the Core is somewhat unusual in that many of these assays need to be customized to some degree, for each individual investigator and individual project. As a result, this Core is dedicated to working on an individual basis with each of the investigations to design and implement the most effective assays to characterize structure/function relationships in the experimental material. While the Core will provide some generic morphologic and structure analyses, it also will provide two rather unique capabilities. The first is its method of providing hierarchical mechanical characterization of bone, particularly from transgenic animals. These biomechanical tests which range from whole bending tests to the production and testing of microscopic (100 micron to nanoscale) sized specimens from tissue provide a means to quantify phenotypic changes in the animals. The second unique component of this Core is the provision of Raman imaging and microspectroscopy. Raman imaging will provide unique data to quantify crystal characteristics, matrix constituent interactions and content and other spatial characteristics that are at a higher level than current infrared spectroscopy systems can provide.